Thanks prettykitty!!!

Hello, Everyone!

I've been reading through these posts and am extremely imspired by all of you for your goals, success, and support offered to one another. I'm new to the forum and hope to become an active member.

I can't explain how comforting it is to know that there are people who understand what I'm going through. =)

Welcome BBD!

We are 20 lbs apart so in similar situations. Good luck with the journey ahead!

Thank you!! It is simple..Not easy but simple.

1. Nature gave us men an unfair advantage over the women in that she lets us lose weight faster than women. I wish we all had the same loss rate but Mother Nature decided otherwise.

2. I am a calorie counter and from day one back in January 1500 calories per day has been my number and I stick to it whether at a restaurant or eating at home. I allow myself no exceptions!! not birthday,s, not anniversaries, not vacations, No exceptions. Two months ago I started calorie cycling, that is some days are higher than 1500 cal and some days are lower but at the end of the week my average will be 1500 cal per day. This is supposed to help with plateaus, I am not sure if it works but it is a more normal way to eat. Humans do not normally eat the same calorie amount every day.

3. I eat whatever I want. If I want 1500 calories of ice cream I can have it, but that would be all that I can have if I were to do that. I do have small amounts of ice cream from time to time but it is always part of my calorie count for the day. By having what I want I do not get a deprived feeling. What I have discovered is that I have started eating mostly low fat, low sodium and very few processed foods.

4. Exercise, as a 67 year old with severe arthritis and a recent (April) double coronary bypass operation. I limit my exercise to walking, bicycling (outside)
and yard work / gardening. Some days I get 5 or 6 hours in and some days nothing. Weather permitting I try to be outside and active most of the day which was a big change from my former couch potato status.

I apologize for this long post.

Larry,

Welcome BBD ... nice to see another added to our forum!!! Wish you luck with your journey!!

Larry - wow ... no cheats, you are my idol, LOL!!!

Mom - yes, I did have fun but lordy those calories added up quick!!! UGH!!!

Ratkitten - I know you are right about the pizza, but I can't believe I DRANK that many calories!!! Thank God I was active and really did still burn more than I ate/drank but geeze!!! And WTG on all that yard work!!!

Not apology necessary!

Great job - it's nice to read that it wasn't some crazy plan or anything like that, you know? It gives me confidence that if I get disciplined and stay that way, I can do it as well.

I'm trying to stay under the 1600 calories Livestrong says I should have daily, and it was easy for a few days but I definitely find it to be more difficult on weekends - drinking isn't easy for me to work into the plan (but I guess it's not supposed to be). Anyway, I'm having trouble staying under my daily calorie budget - not because I'm not counting or counting is a pain, but because I have been allowing myself the exceptions you mentioned above! My plan was to stay at the 1600 for a few weeks, then drop it to 1400 or 1500, and so on. We'll see what happens, I guess.

Right now, my big challenge is actually getting the exercise in... I work 8:30-5 and get home around 6ish. I could hit the gym or take a walk, but always find a reason not to - this is my Achilles' heel!

You described my former self to a "T" I had to decide did I really want to get healthy? When I decided I did I had to make my plan a high and maybe the highest priority in my life. I had to quit making excuses why not and start developing reasons why I can and why I will.

In the beginning I was not very good at consistency, but I have found that consistency is a habit that can be developed with practice and time. I am much better at it now. Occasionally I will still find my self saying it's too hot, it's too wet, it's too dark or some other excuse not to exercise. I try to recognize these as nothing more than excuses and exercise anyway. I am not perfect at doing that, but I have improved a lot.

Larry,

Good Morning Everyone!!! Well, I have not stepped on the scale for two days. I am not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing. I usually weigh every morning before work, but these last two mornings I have been running late. But, tomorrow I am OFF .. yippie!!! ... so I will get to see if I have made some progress this week, and get a sneak preview of what Friday has in store for me. I have been doing good on MOVING, and my eating has been good, but I have not been drinking enough water I know, and although I have not went over my calories, I keep hitting my "high" range, and I do not like that. I like staying at the bottom of my range. Oh well, today is a new day!!!

Welcome BBD and Mahoney! I'm not sure if I welcomed you. If I did, just think of it as an extra hug LOL.



Hugs,
Ratkity

Morning all!

I officially weigh tomorrow but took a sneak peak this morning. Urgh! No change. I did have a higher sodium intake yesterday so maybe it's that but i'm thinking not. I have hurt my knee and so not been doing my usual bike routine, instead i've been doing weights a little, maybe it's that. My calories also have been in the higher range. Not over. Just high. I need to work harder on sticking to an average!

Larry- thank you for your post, it's always good to see how losing weight the healthy way is possible. Congrats again!

Just a quick post asking my new friends in the 300+ forum for your prayers.

I went to my urologist today for followup on tests I had done to determine the cause of kidney pain I have been experiencing . I received some unexpected results. My left kidney has a stone, is atrophied and is not functioning. I have been scheduled for major surgery to remove my left kidney on 10/3/2011 I did not expect that result when I went to the doctor today!

Does anyone know how much a kidney weighs? Is it considered cheating to lose weight via organ removal?

This will be my second major surgery this year. I had open heart cardiac bypass surgery this April. My wife is superstitious and says bad things always happen in groups of three? I sure hope that she is wrong.

Larry,

Larry,

Wow, I bet that diagnosis was a shock. Take care of yourself. I'm afraid a kidney doesn't weigh all that much and the water weight you'll gain from the IV fluids will cancel out those few ounces. Don't worry about the IV fluid weight gain!!! It'll be gone before you know it. Concentrate on healing.

Hugs,
Ratkity

Larry - I love your positive outlook on things! Good luck with the surgery.

I lost 2 more lbs this week, which i was utterly shocked at because i haven't been doing my bike due to a bad knee. It's better today, i think, so i am getting back on track once my son naps. Glad to know i can still lose without the exercise. As long as the numbers stay the same or go down i am happy!

Ratkity It sounds like you might work in the medical field?? Thank You for your encouragement!! Yes, I looked it up and a man's kidney weighs on average about 6 ounces. Since mine has atrophied I suppose it weighs a lot less. And here I was counting on another 10 pound loss the hard way!! Oh well back to the tried, tested and proven weight loss method. Which for me is control my daily calorie intake and exercise

Larry,

Wow Larry..prayers for you on your upcoming surgery. PS no I dont think it is cheating.

I have the next two weeks of for vacation. I know we are going to a quick trip to California to the beach this weekend..the rest of the time I will be crafting. We have a craft fair at church in December and I gotta get to making things.